What Makes a Listing Fly Off the Market? A Heliport

Estates with a touch down for choppers can see their values rise

Miami, Florida: Upon completion and pending FAA and other approvals, the city’s first private helipad on a residential tower will be found on the One Thousand Museum rooftop, a 62-story skyscraper. The building, shown in this rendering, is expected to be completed in late 2017. Agent: Daniel De La Vega, One Sotheby’s International Realty

Rendering: Catapult 13 Creative Studios

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Miami, Florida: Upon completion and pending FAA and other approvals, the city’s first private helipad on a residential tower will be found on the One Thousand Museum rooftop, a 62-story skyscraper. The building, shown in this rendering, is expected to be completed in late 2017. Agent: Daniel De La Vega, One Sotheby’s International Realty

Rendering: Catapult 13 Creative Studios

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Miami, Florida: Upon completion and pending FAA and other approvals, the city’s first private helipad on a residential tower will be found on the One Thousand Museum rooftop, a 62-story skyscraper. The building, shown in this rendering, is expected to be completed in late 2017. Agent: Daniel De La Vega, One Sotheby’s International Realty

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Rendering: Catapult 13 Creative Studios

Nothing says mansion like a personal heliport. So it’s no surprise that some wealthy buyers are willing to pay a premium for homes where they can land outside their front doors. Nicole Steel, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, recently marketed a helicopter-friendly property in Connecticut. “It attracted a lot of interest from the Wall Streeters and the private equity guys—the time-is-money crowd,” she said. It’s difficult to determine a precise added value for homes with helicopter access, but Steel said it can boost a property’s value by as much as 15%. Federal Aviation Administration-approved facilities are called heliports. The FAA does not use the word helipad, but the term commonly refers to the spot where a helicopter takes off or lands. Raymond Syms of HeliExperts International LLC, based in New Jersey, said a home heliport can be as simple as a marked piece of turf with a windsock, while the more elaborate versions feature lighting and facilities for refueling. Prices range from a few hundred dollars up to $500,000. Syms is currently advising on the construction of a heliport at a home in upstate New York. The owner, Raja Amar, is importing pavers for the landing area so it will match his driveway. “It was a beautiful estate,” Amar said. “We had done a great job with it. So we thought to have a private heliport would be very good to have on the property.” Ricarda Bennett of Heliport Consultants, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., said civilian fliers in the United States may have to secure federal, state and local approval. “Land use and noise are the big issues people have to overcome,” said Bennett. “Your property might have 10 acres but if it is in a residential zone, you’re probably going to need a permit. If you have a 1,500-acre ranch, and you want to put down a helipad that’s not for agricultural purposes, you’ll also probably need a permit.” A good way to get neighbors on your side? Showing that your helicopter landing spot will provide a benefit to the community. “In high fire areas like the Santa Monica Mountains, making a helipad big enough so that helicopters from the police and fire services can use it too means you are giving something back to your neighbors,” Bennett said. Permitting can cost be between $15,000 and $40,000, she added, and the process can take six months to a year. Some helicopter owners, especially if they own large chunks of land, do not bother with the permitting requirements. “I have seen a good number of real estate offerings that claim to have a heliport on the estate. The last three I saw were not legal and not on the Federal Aviation Administration database; and in one case it was not licensed by the state it was in, which has mandatory license requirements,” said Syms. Helicopter ownership is not available to everyone but chopper shoppers have a wide choice of machines if they do want to commute from home to the office. David George, chairman of Sloane Helicopters in England, noted buyers can spend eight-figure sums for “all the bells and whistles.” A businessman, for example, recently bought a $12 million Sikorsky helicopter that was fitted out with a restroom. But George said he also has wealthy clients who are happy with smaller machines. “They want something that is cost-effective and unfussy and that will get them from central London to their country home,” he said. Many of them buy American-made Robinsons, like the four-seater R44, which industry experts say is probably the best helicopter in the world for personal ownership. It costs about $500,000 new. There is also a thriving market in second-hand helicopters, since the machines keep their value. Other fliers participate in fractional ownership arrangements, or use apps like Blade to buy seats on pre-existing flights. “Think of it as a magic carpet ride, there’s no faster door-to-door transport,” said Larry Welk of the helicopter charter and rental service Angel City Air, based in California. He said he still gets a thrill every time he looks down on traffic-clogged L.A. freeways and knows that he will be home in good time for dinner.

DISCLAIMER: The currency conversion is provided for illustration purposes only. It is meant only as an approximation based on the latest information available and should not be relied upon for any other purposes. We are not responsible for any loss that you may incur as a result of relying on these currency conversions. All property prices are as stated by the listing agent.

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